The Discipline of Hearing --Oswald Chambers

(Great insight from Oswald today…Sometimes, it is because of the dark that we appreciate the light so much more.?Think about it, the storms of life help us appreciate the peace, quiet and beauty that follows.?A sunrise cannot be if it doesn’t pierce the darkness.?Light comes and darkness flees, there is no other option, light pervades darkness, overwhelms it, takes it over…it is never the other way around.?But for the clouds and the night, the brightness of the sun cannot be appreciated, it’s warm glow seen and felt at the same time.?The dark is a time to ponder, to listen, to wonder and wander in our mind, to be still and listen to what God has been blaring so loudly even in the silence…So loud we cannot hear Him because our emotions and thoughts are louder still.?I love that Oswald points out that what we hear in the dark often ought be shared with others.?This makes perfect sense because our lessons no only edify, teach, train and equip others, but sharing them with others glorifies God while at the same time draws us closer to whomever we share with.?Think of all the lessons we can learn from each other, all the heartache we could potentially miss if someone was humble enough to share what they heard or learned from God when they were in the dark or a pit or a deep valley of life.?Mountaintop experiences are wonderful, but, the greatest lessons seem to come when we are in the dark, clinging to God because there is no one else to cling to.?He seems to speak more clearly in those moments…correction, we seem to listen more clearly in those moments!?So, the next time you are in the dark, tune your ears to God and praise Him for the blessings about to befall you!!!?In Christ, MH)

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The Discipline of Hearing

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Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.?Matthew 10:27

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Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into “the shadow of His hand” until we learn to hear Him (Isaiah 49:2 ). “Whatever I tell you in the dark…” — pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there. Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood— darkness is the time to listen. Don’t talk to other people about it; don’t read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light.

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After every time of darkness, we should experience a mixture of delight and humiliation. If there is only delight, I question whether we have really heard God at all. We should experience delight for having heard God speak, but mostly humiliation for having taken so long to hear Him! Then we will exclaim, “How slow I have been to listen and understand what God has been telling me!” And yet God has been saying it for days and even weeks. But once you hear Him, He gives you the gift of humiliation, which brings a softness of heart— a gift that will always cause you to listen to God now.

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--Oswald Chambers